The flagship AVIC-8100NEX isn't just the top of Pioneer's line, it's one of the best, most fully featured receivers on the market. Just make sure you're not buying more functionality than you really need.

The Garmin Nuvi 2689 LMT is a strong performing navigator with loads of smart features that help reduce driver errors and distraction, but in a world filled to the brim with smartphone nav apps, most will never know its charms.

Pioneer's flagship AVIC 8000NEX boasts dozens of media and navigation options -- including the first aftermarket appearance of Apple CarPlay -- but most users will find a better feature-to-cost balance lower in the brand's NEX lineup.

The Magellan SmartGPS bridges a gap between connected navigation apps and car-friendly GPS hardware with its ability to sync with the cloud and connect to the Web via Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, but its busy interface could use fewer moving parts.

The Parrot Asteroid falls a bit short on delivering the Internet and a rich app experience in the car, but it's still a solid receiver for users looking to add great digital audio connectivity and a top-tier hands-free calling experience to any vehicle.